History

The first crusade to Finland was led by the King of Sweden in 1155, starting a union with Sweden that was to last for 600 years. In 1809 Finland was incorporated into the Russian Empire as a Grand Duchy. Swedish laws were retained and the country was allowed to keep its own currency, mail and railway systems.

Helsinki became the capital in 1812 (replacing Turku in the south-west). The official national languages were – and still are - Finnish and Swedish. Amid the turmoil of the Russian Revolution, Finland declared its independence in 1917, establishing its present constitution and status as a republic in 1919.

Recent studies suggest that the ethnic roots of the Finnish people lie to the south and south-east of Europe, from which their ancestors migrated following the last Ice Age some 9,000 years ago. Some milestones in Finnish history:

• Part of Sweden from the 13th century until 1809

• Autonomous Grand Duchy in the Russian Empire 1809-1917

• Independent since December 6th, 1917

• Independence succesfully defended in World War II. Finland fought the Soviet Union 1939-1940 and 1941-1944, Germany 1944-1945

• Member of United Nations 1955, OECD 1969, European Union 1995